MTA Congestion Pricing Roadblock Should End, Mayor Says

NEW YORK CITY — Congestion in New York City threatens to grind its recovery from the coronavirus pandemic to a halt, Mayor Bill de Blasio warned.

But de Blasio said that's only if MTA doesn't get its traffic act together.

"I’ve got a solution for them about this,” he said Tuesday, holding up a giant prop check for the $15 billion congestion pricing would bring MTA.

Congestion pricing is the long-awaited, long-delayed measure to place tolls on cars entering Manhattan below 61st Street.

Advocates argue not only will congestion pricing reduce traffic, but also raise revenue for valuable transit projects.

“We want to fix the horrible flooding that we saw last week, if we want to make sure the signals are fixed so the trains actually can move, if you want modern stations: here it is,” de Blasio said.

Hizzoner's salvo against MTA followed two recent reports about bureaucratic traffic jams caused by transit and state officials.

A New York Post report detailed a recent study that found New York City is the nation's most gridlocked major metropolis. The congestion threatens the city's reopening, the Post reported.

Likewise, a New York Daily News report detailed how MTA officials have yet to have necessary congestion pricing talks with New Jersey transportation officials.

“They haven’t even had a single meeting,” de Blasio said. “This is ridiculous.”

Many transit advocates give de Blasio at best a mixed score on efforts to wean the city off its reliance on vehicles. But, still, he received support during his congestion pricing push from Brooklyn Borough President nominee Antonio Reynoso and state Assembly Member Robert Carroll.

“It is unacceptable that the state, which controls the MTA, is not moving on this critical, critical issue,” Carroll said.

Ken Lovett, senior advisor to the MTA chairman and CEO, quickly issued a statement rebutting the charge that the transit agency is slow walking the process.

“There is a federally-required process," Lovett said. "The MTA is following that detailed process which doesn’t allow arbitrarily cutting corners. An Environmental Assessment is complicated and we are working through issues with the Federal Highway Administration and our partners at the New York City and New York State Departments of Transportation. As we have said repeatedly, the Central Business District Tolling Program will be a huge environmental benefit for the region while also providing a major boost to mass transit, and we’re working diligently to implement it as soon as possible.”